Game Recap: Falcons at Bills

K Matt Bryant hits the 36-yard field goal in OT to snap the Falcons five-game skid. Atlanta defeats Buffalo 34-31 in Toronto, Canada and move to 3-9 on the season.

K Matt Bryant lifts Atlanta to victory with a 36-yard field goal in overtime

The Falcons improved to 3-9 with a 34-31 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Atlanta rushed for more than 150 yards for the second time in its last three games en route to outgaining Buffalo 423-405 in the victory. Additionally, the Falcons improved to 32-17 in games decided by eight-points-or less under Head Coach Mike Smith.

Trailing 31-24 in the fourth quarter, QB Matt Ryan led the offense on an 11-play, 65-yard drive to tie the game at 31-31 with 1:28 remaining in the game. On the ensuing Bills drive, CB Robert McClain forced WR Stevie Johnson to fumble at the Falcons 30-yard line. S William Moore recovered the loose ball to send the game to overtime.

On the second play of overtime, Moore forced Bills TE Scott Chandler to fumble, CB Robert Alford scooped up the loose ball and lateraled it to CB Desmond Trufant. Trufant ran 18 yards across midfield into Buffalo territory to set up a short field for the Falcons offense.

Ryan drove the offense 30 yards in five plays to set up K Matt Bryant’s 36-yard game winning field goal. Ryan has led the Falcons on 23 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime (including playoffs) in his career.

Ryan finished the game completing 28 of 47 passes for 311 yards with one touchdown and an 86.7 passer rating. Sunday marked Ryan’s 23rd career 300-yard game and his sixth 300-yard game of the season.

Byrant has hit 16 game-winning field goals in his career, including seven as a member of the Falcons. Sunday’s 36-yard game winner was the shortest game-winning kick of his Falcons career.

RB Steven Jackson broke a 27-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Jackson has scored on the ground in each of the last two games and has found the end zone four times in his last three games against the Bills.

Jackson punched in his second touchdown late in the fourth quarter, tying the game at 31-31 with a one-yard score. Sunday marked Jackson’s first multi-touchdown game as a Falcon and the 10th multi-score game of his career. Jackson has posted seven games with two rushing scores in his career.

Jackson has scored 59 career rushing touchdowns, tying RB Frank Gore (59) for the fifth-most among active players. His 68 total touchdowns are 11th among active players, Jackson also moved ahead of WR Calvin Johnson (67) on Sunday.

Jackson finished the game with 84 yards on 23 carries with two touchdowns. He passed RB Eddie George (10,441) and RB Tiki Barber (10,449) on the NFL’s all-time rushing list. Jackson now ranks 23rdin NFL history with 10,477 career rushing yards.

RB Antone Smith scored his second rushing touchdown of the season, breaking free for a 38-yard score in the second quarter. Smith has totaled 145 yards on five carries and is averaging 29.0 yards per carry this season.

TE Tony Gonzalez caught an 11-yard touchdown in the third quarter to give the Falcons their first lead of the game. The score was Gonzalez’s fifth of the season and the 108th of his storied NFL career. Gonzalez has recorded at least five touchdowns in each of the last eight seasons.

Since joining the Falcons in 2009, Gonzalez has caught 32 touchdown passes which is the fifth-highest touchdown total by any tight end in the NFL during that span.

Gonzalez finished the game with four catches for 42 yards. Through 12 games, he has posted 62 catches which marks the 15th straight season that he has caught at least 60 passes. Additionally, Gonzalez has five touchdown catches in his last seven games against the Bills.

WR Roddy White hit his stride, posting his best game of the year with 10 catches for 143 yards (14.3 per catch). Sunday marked White’s 36th career 100-yard game, extending his own franchise record. His 143-yard performance was tied for the eighth-highest yardage output of his career.

Rookie CB Desmond Trufant finished the game with one tackle and one pass defense. According to Stats LLC., Trufant’s 14 passes defensed in 2013 are the most by a Falcons rookie in a single season, surpassing Darnell Walker, who broke up 13 passes in 1993.